Jar of Hearts: (Family Stone, # 5 Keisha and Shane) (Family Stone Romantic Suspense) (5 page)

They had destroyed her bed. Her bold geometric print comforter and the jewel-hued throw pillows had been shoved to the floor as they’d rolled around. Memories bombarded her. Shane, hard and heavy between her spread thighs, conquering her body. Keisha riding him shamelessly, his hands rough and insistent as he played with her breasts. Keisha taking his gorgeous cock into her mouth, caressing his balls, and sucking him dry.

The images were turning her on again. Shane had insinuated the hard column of his thigh between her legs, and her butt was snuggled against his rapidly growing erection.

Early morning light filtered in through her sheer curtains. She’d forgotten to close her drapes last night. She’d had…other things on her mind, on
her
. She repressed the urge to giggle.

Her, giggle. Seriously, she hadn’t felt this light in a very long time.

Shane’s heat warmed the bed and her body as she thought about his contradictions.

She’d seen him be extremely menacing. And yet, sometimes, he imparted such a serene air. That dichotomy was unbelievably appealing.

He was exactly who he was and was entirely at peace with himself. His tranquility wormed into her consciousness, and she wondered if she could just be here with him, calm, peaceful. Just be.

When she was with Shane, the chaos in her head quieted and the need to protect herself faded into the background. Which was dangerous. She couldn’t depend on him. She couldn’t depend on anyone but herself. Her momma had raised her to know that people didn’t stick so you couldn’t lean on anyone. Wasn’t that true of her daddy?

He hadn’t even stayed around until she was born.

And that quickly, the serenity and lightness disappeared. Shane Washington was a player. She’d been foolish to jump into bed with him, even as world-rocking as the sex had been. The aftermath was likely going to suck.

Shane trailed his finger along the curve of her neck and heaved a sigh. “What are you worrying about in there?” He pressed his lips along the same path his finger had taken.

“The job.”

Shane snorted. “No way. You can handle anything that’s thrown at you for work without batting an eyelash. Those tense muscles are personal.”

Keisha didn’t know whether to cringe or preen at the fact that he apparently knew her well enough to realize that she was fearless when it came to work.

She wasn’t about to admit that she’d been thinking about him. About what a delicious mistake having sex with him was.

“I can see that chip growing like a cloud in a thunderstorm.”

Keisha glanced at the clock on the bedside table. “We need to get to the food bank.” She ignored his queries.

Shane sighed again.

“I’ve got a change of clothes in my trunk.” He pressed a kiss on her ear.

Figured. Player.

“I keep a Go Bag packed in case my clients need me for an emergency,” he clarified.

“I’m sure that comes in handy.” For when he scores with some chick stupid enough to fall into bed with him. Like her.

It was pretty hard to miss the sarcasm in her voice.

“Yeah. It does.” Shane pushed out of the bed. “I’m going to take a shower.”

He stood beside the bed. His body ripped with muscle, his chest broad, his cock half erect and weeping with a few drops of pre-come. And if she’d been standing, she’d have had to brace herself. He seriously made her knees weak.

Keisha was nuts. She had a hot man in her house. Naked and half-primed. One who had seriously rocked her world last night. The best sex she’d had in a very long time. Maybe ever. And today they were going to pretend to be married. She needed to forget about shutting down her emotions, forget about that future hurt that was surely on the way, and enjoy him.

She grabbed a condom from the bedside table. “Want company?”

***

Keisha and Shane spent the day working at the warehouse, learning about the way donations came in, how they were sorted, and then re-boxed to distribute to the food bank’s clients. They toured the enormous refrigerated room and she’d been surprised by the amount of fresh produce and fruit that was donated and then given away. Even more interesting, the numbers of families the food bank fed on a monthly basis was pretty staggering.

Keisha left the warehouse grateful for her mother’s sacrifice and yet, thankful that nowadays struggling families had access to help if they needed it. Shane had been a thoughtful and industrious volunteer worker, asking questions that showed he also had grown up in a household where money and food had been tight.

Hours later, Shane and Keisha were back at the warehouse, after hours and undercover. Jack had given them a key and the information on how to avoid the security cameras.

They were set up on the catwalk of the refrigerator room. From their vantage point across the warehouse, they had an unrestricted view of the delivery bay rolling door that scrolled up and allowed trucks to back right up to the warehouse floor to unload the cargo.

The room was bathed in darkness. The only illumination was spotlights fixed on the rolling door and the doorways that led to the unrefrigerated section of the warehouse where the boxed food was stored.

The catwalk was a tight fit, so Keisha was seated between Shane’s legs, his thighs bracketing hers and her butt up against his crotch.

Shane had been a close observer to the inner workings of Keisha’s brilliant and convoluted mind. She hid her soft center, encased that marshmallow heart in a hard attitude that fooled most of the world.

He wasn’t going to lie. At one point, he’d been a little bit scared of her. She was a Ball Buster with a capital BB. But ever since Keisha had revealed that inner softness, Shane had been dying to see that gooey, sweet woman again.

The last time she’d shown him had been when they rescued Maria Torres. She’d focused right in on Maria’s pain and her fear and done everything to put her at ease and mother her.

And while he had no interest in Keisha mothering him, none at all, he wanted, with a fierce passion, to see that soft woman again.

He’d almost blown it this morning. Of course, he had no idea what he’d done wrong. All he’d done was get out of bed, unashamed of the erection she inspired. He’d mentioned his Go Bag, but why that would have garnered hostility was beyond him.

She’d been pissed. And as far as he could tell, he hadn’t necessarily done anything to change her mind. But she had, and then offered to join him.

He should have been completely wrung out after three rounds of very energetic and long lasting sex. But from the moment he’d awoken with her ass pressed against him, all he could think about was getting inside her again.

They’d managed another round in the shower, and when they’d left her apartment, they’d both been sated and happy.

If only he could keep her chained up and in bed. Life would be perfect.

And wow, would he get his balls handed to him if he even voiced that thought out loud. He chuckled softly.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Would you bust my balls if I said I was imagining you chained to my bed?”

Keisha should probably be offended at the image, but after working with Shane over the past few months, she knew that he respected her in the field. He might be a pain in the ass sometimes, but he’d ultimately supported her decisions when they’d protected Maria Torres. And he’d followed her lead several times today.

As a matter of fact, they’d worked the day seamlessly, instinctively knowing when one was actually snooping, the other would keep the volunteers at the food bank occupied.

And while they’d worked well together, in bed they were even more compatible. Shane seemed to have an instinctive ability to know exactly how far he could push. And Keisha trusted him to take her to the edge, shoving her past former comfort zones, yet she knew he would never hurt her.

As a result, Keisha had never been so satiated. Shane’s chest was thick and solid behind her. And she felt as if she could just lay down in a puddle of satisfaction and never get up again. She fought the urge to rub against him like a cat in heat.

She couldn’t keep her hands off him. And apparently since he wanted to chain her to the bed, the feeling was mutual.

“Lucky for you I’m unbelievably relaxed right now.” But her tone promised future retribution.

Shane chuckled. “Can’t wait.”

The chill temperatures did little to cool the fire that raged in her blood. He’d turned her into a raving sex maniac. All she could think about was getting this surveillance out of the way and heading back to her condo so they could go at it again.

She was trying to keep her head because she knew this would end. Likely soon. She would still have to work with him so it couldn’t end badly.

“You warm enough?” He had wrapped her in his arms and rubbed at her forearms.

“Yeah.” Keisha held the Nikon D4 with the AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm wide angle zoom lens. If Bob Michaels was correct, there would be another clandestine shipment tonight.

The information had come in late this afternoon. The broccoli had tested positive for a banned pesticide. So whoever was donating the food didn’t want the tainted food to be linked to their farm.

The strange thing about this whole situation was that the food bank didn’t really have any protocol in place for produce donations. They had just been worried because whoever was delivering the food was doing it under cover of the night which seemed to indicate some sort of foul play. Which turned out to be the case.

In the meantime, the food bank had to protect the recipients of their food. Which meant all that broccoli needed to be destroyed and the culprits needed to be caught and stopped.

The food bank was in a delicate position. They couldn’t openly ask who was giving them late night deliveries. If they publicly acknowledged that they didn’t know where it came from, it could incite the customers to stop requesting food until they verified the food was safe. Going hungry was better than eating tainted produce.

Keisha settled in the crook of Shane’s arms and watched the puff of white as she breathed.

“So a thong woman, huh?”

Keisha blushed but damned if she’d truly be embarrassed. “Ever since I got out of the Navy. You know what they make us wear?”

Shane chuckled. “I may have had eyes on those grannie skivvies once or twice.”

Probably more than once or twice. Keisha tried not to let the thought bother her. “Yeah, well they are hideous. So now I indulge my inner vixen with my Victoria’s Secret credit card.”

“And your inner vixen is my favorite.” Shane’s arms tightened around her. “What’cha wearing right now?”

She softened as his voice coiled low and seductive through her body. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” She’d put on a particularly sexy demi-bra and matching thong in a pearly pastel pink.

“I’m planning to find out when we’re done here.” Shane slid his palms underneath the hem of her jacket and up the front of her shirt until he found her nipples hard and aching for his touch. He plucked at the nubs and Keisha smiled in satisfaction as his erection prodded her back.

“I put on my skimpiest thong just for you,” she purred.

“Damn, girl.” He spread his legs a little wider and pinched her nipples. Just hard enough to sting but without an edge of pain.

For such a large man he had a very delicate and precise touch.

They knew they couldn’t exactly have sex on the catwalk, but they could fool around a little. Shane continued to play with her nipples and Keisha reached behind her and pressed her palm over the thick bulge of his cock in his cargo pants.

She went a little light-headed at how big and hard he was, still not used to his girth or length. Her last few lovers had been significantly smaller than Shane.

Her heart beat against her breastbone as they teased each other. The only sound in the silent warehouse was their deepening breaths as they kept each other on the edge.

Shane nuzzled her ear. “Hold that thought.” The metal door to the delivery bay began to roll up. Both Shane and Keisha sat up straight, their focus on the intruder, sex pushed to the side but not forgotten. “Later, I’m going to do everything I want to you and you’re going to take it.”

Keisha’s breath caught, held. Until later. And she’d do the same to him. Screw it. She’d worry about future heartache…in the future. “Right back at you.”

The soft rumble of a truck backing up to the door infiltrated the darkness of the refrigerated room.

As soon as the truck breached the threshold, the driver stopped and the distinctive sound of the gear being set in park hit their ears.

Someone hopped out of the passenger side of the cab and headed directly for the light switch that would illuminate the entire refrigerated compartment. Keisha held the camera up, tracked their movements through the lens viewer, and waited for the moment when they’d finally see who was clandestinely filling Food for Life’s pantry with tainted food.

As the light switched on and a very familiar red-head came into view, Keisha swore softly.

“Who is it?” Shane leaned around to get a better look at the intruder. “Shit, is that—“

Shelley.

Jack’s mother. Stepmother. Whatever. The woman who practically raised him and who Jack had nothing but admiration for was delivering tainted produce to the Food for Life warehouse.

Keisha continued to snap incriminating photos of Shelley as she directed the driver of the truck who was still covered in a light film of dirt. There were several spaces open, and using the forklift, they were able to seamlessly move the bulk bins filled with broccoli, clearly harvested straight from the fields, from the truck into those open slots.

Shelley propped her hands on her hips and frowned at the previously delivered pallets of broccoli. She clearly recognized that the bins they’d delivered the other day hadn’t been boxed and distributed.

A sick sensation settled in the pit of Keisha’s stomach. How the hell were they going to tell Jack that his mother was involved?

Keisha hid behind the technical aspects of shooting the misconduct taking place, ignoring the reality that something was very, very wrong. And ignoring the fact that she and Shane were going to have to deliver some very bad news to her boss.